Expansible link bracelet



March 12, 1968 CHENG c ow ET AL 3,372,538;

EXPANSIBLE LINK BRACELET Filed Oct. 20, 1965 United States Patent 3,372,538 EXPANSIBLE LINK BRACELET Cheng Chow, Flat 1002, E. Terrace, S al Wan Chuen, Hong Kong, and Mak Fan, 369 K1 Lung St., th Floor, Kowloon, Hong Kong Filed Get. 20, 1965, Ser. No. fl98,7 [6 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Mar. 12, 1965, 10,681/ 65 6 Claims. (Cl. 59-79) This invention relates to expansible link braceletsof the type in which adjacent links are joined by connecting members spring urged so as to draw the ad acent hnks together and contact the bracelet.

The invention consists in an expansible link bracelet of the type described, wherein the connecting members have tongues engageable with the ends of two separate torsion springs on mountings, the torsion springs belng located in the links laterally offset from the paths of the tongues, one at each side of the tongues whereby the torsion springs and the mountings do not reduce the effective expansion of the bracelet.

Preferably, for ease of assembly, the torsion springs are mounted about pillars attached to plates which are subsequently mounted in the links.

The pillars about which the torsion springs are mounted may be rivets in the plates.

Considerably greater expansion is obtainable on the present invention compared with prior-art expansible link bracelets.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing a fragmentary portion of a bracelet in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a corresponding view in the expanded position;

FIGURE 3 is an edge view of the bracelet shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an edge view of the bracelet shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is the back view of the bracelet with the back and the slidable connecting element removed from one link;

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 in the expanded position, but with the slidable connecting element pulling the two springs to an extreme position;

FIGURE 7 is a section taken on the line VII-VII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged view of the last link of FIG- URE 5, with the back and the slidable connecting element removed;

FIGURE 9 is a section taken on the line IX-IX of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 10 is an exploded perspective view of the parts of one link and a connecting element.

As shown in the drawings the bracelet consists of a plurality of links 1 interconnected by connecting elements 2.

Referring more particularly to FIGURES 7 to 10, each link 1 consists of a main or cover portion 3, a bias plate 4 housed within the cover portion 3, and a back 5.

In the assembled state the cover has turned over edge portions 6 forming edge guides for the slidable connecting element 2, and also engaging flanges 7 on the back 5 to hold the link assembled. The bias plate is located in the link between the upturned sides 8. The bias plate 4 has stamped out columns 9 therein which extend substantially to the top of the sides 8 and round which are wound torsion springs 10. One end 11 of each torsion spring 10 is located under a corresponding lug 12 in the bias plate 4 and the other ends 13 are free and at about the level of the top of side 8.

3,372,538 Patented Mar. 12, 1968 The free ends 13 of the springs 10 are engaged by a centre tongue 14 of the connecting element 2, of which the movement is clear of columns 9. A tongue 15 similar to tongue 14, is engaged with the adjacent link.

At each side of the centre tongues 14 and 15, two more reversed small side tongues 16 are provided to abut against contiguous lugs 17 of two adjacent backs 5 to limit the movement of the connecting element 2.

In operation, or continued expansion of the bracelet from the position shown in FIGURES 1, 3 and 5, the centre tongues 14 move against the resistance of the ends 13 of the springs 10 until arrested by the side 8 of the cover portion 3 as shown in FIGURES 2, 4 and 6.

We claim:

1. An expansible link bracelet comprising at least two links, and a connecting member joining said links, mountings for a pair of torsion springs in one of the links, a pair of torsion springs mounted thereon with one end secured and the other free, tongues on sides of said connecting member, one of which is engaged with the free ends of the torsion springs and the other with an adjacent link, said torsion spring mountings being located laterally offset from the path of the tongue of said connecting member engaging the free ends of the torsion springs, there being one mounting on each side of the tongue, whereby the torsion springs and mountings do not reduce the effective expansion of the bracelet.

2. An expansible link bracelet comprising a plurality of links, edge portions on said links, connecting members joining said links, torsion springs mounted in the links urging said links together and having fixed and free ends, bias plates held in said links by said edge portions on said links, mountings on said bias plates for said torsion springs, tongues on sides of said connecting member, one of which is engaged with the free ends of the torsion springs and the other with an adjacent link, said torsion spring mountings being located laterally offset from the path of the tongue of said connecting member engaging the free ends of the torsion springs, there being one mounting on each side of the tongue, whereby the torsion springs and mountings do not reduce the effective expansion of the bracelet.

3. An expansible link bracelet as claimed in claim 2, wherein said mountings are rivets in the bias plates.

4. An expansible link bracelet comprising a plurality of links, connecting members joining said links, tongues on opposite sides of said connecting members, edge portions on said links, torsion springs located in the links urging said links together, bias plates held in said links by said edge portions on said links, two lugs in said links, mountings on said bias plates for said torsion springs, these being two separate torsion springs in each link, one end of each of said two torsion springs being engageable with a tongue on one side of a connecting member, other end of each of said two torsion springs, being located under one of said two lugs, the tongue on the opposite side of said connecting member being engageable with an adjacent link, said two torsion spring mountings being located laterally offset from the path of the tongue of said connecting member engaging the free ends of the torsion springs, there being one mounting on each side of the tongue, whereby the torsion springs and mountings do not reduce the effective expansion of the bracelet.

5. An expansible link bracelet comprising at least two links and a connecting member joining said links and having tongues on opposite sides, at least one of said links comprising a cover plate having turned out edge portions forming edge guides for the sliding of the connecting member therein and flanges to hold the link assembled, a bias plate located within the cover plate and having a pair of spaced mountings, a pair of torsion springs respectively located on said spaced mountings and each having a secured end, a free end, and a back plate engaging within said cover plate edge portions and enclosing the bias plate and the connecting member, one of said connecting member tongues being located between said mountings and engaging the free ends of said torsion spring and the other of said connecting member tongues engaging with an adjacent link.

6. An expansible link bracelet as claimed in claim 5 said cover portion having side tongues and siid connecting 4 member having tongues projecting towards said cover plate and engaging with the tongues thereon to limit the movement of the connecting member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primal Examiner. 

1. AN EXPANSIBLE LINK BRACELET COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO LINKS, AND A CONNECTING MEMBER JOINING SAID LINKS, MOUNTINGS FOR A PAIR OF TORSION SPRINGS IN ONE OF THE LINKS, A PAIR OF TORSION SPRINGS MOUNTED THEREON WITH ONE END SECURED AND THE OTHER FREE, TONGUES ON SIDES OF SAID CONNECTING MEMBER, ONE OF WHICH IS ENGAGED WITH THE FREE ENDS OF THE TORSION SPRINGS AND THE OTHER WITH AN ADJACENT LINK, SAID TORSION SPRING MOUNTINGS BEING LOCATED LATERALLY OFFSET FROM THE PATH OF THE TONGUE OF SAID CONNECTING MEMBER ENGAGING THE FREE ENDS OF THE TORSION SPRINGS, THERE BEING ONE MOUNTING ON EACH SIDE OF THE TONGUE, WHEREBY THE TORSION SPRINGS AND MOUNTINGS DO NOT REDUCE THE EFFECTIVE EXPANSION OF THE BRACELET. 